The Impact of Bulb Treatment and Spacing Patterns on Onion (Allium Cepa Var. Cepa) Seed Yield and Quality at Humbo Larena, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Humbo Larena, wolaita zone during the 2012/2013 dry season, to study the effect of bulb treatment and spacing patterns on seed yield and quality of onion in the semi-arid zone of Ethiopia. Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four levels of bulb types [whole bulbs, cut (topped) bulbs, ash-treated cut (topped) bulbs, and fungicide-treated cut (topped) bulbs] and four levels of spacing patterns (50 x 30 x 20 cm, 60 x 30 x 20 cm, 40 x 20 cm, and 50 x 20 cm) laid out in randomized complete block design replicated three times. The onion variety known as Bombay Red was used as a test crop.  Results revealed that the main effects of both bulb treatment and spacing significantly influenced, seed weight per umbel, standard germination, vigour Index I and vigour index II. However, bulb treatment and spacing interacted to significantly influence seed yield. The highest seed yield was obtained in response to planting fungicide-treated topped bulbs at the both double-row spacing. However, significantly higher values of all seed quality parameters were obtained from both single-row spacing.

Keywords: Onion (Allium cepa var. Cepa), bulb treatment, spacing patterns, Ethiopia